Bombardier Delivers First Global with Dual HUD

Bombardier Aviation has delivered one of its new flagship Global 7500s equipped with dual head-up displays. According to the Montreal-based airframer, this is the first time it has made the dual HUD installation available as an option in its ultra-long-range Global family. The pilot-side Collins Aerospace-manufactured HUD is standard equipment on the Global 7500.

The HUDs, part of the Bombardier Vision flight deck, include enhanced and synthetic vision systems to provide pilots with optimal situational awareness. The addition of the second HUD allows for greater contribution from the copilot during low-visibility approaches, as well as easier switching between pilot flying and pilot monitoring.

“The delivery of the first Global 7500 with a dual HUD showcases our outstanding commitment to safety,” noted Michel Ouellette, the OEM’s senior vice president for program management and engineering. “This flight deck is designed to put technology and automation at the service of the crew, rather than creating technology that the crew has to manage.”

Kobe Crash Copter Company Blaming ATC

The company that operated the Sikorsky S-76B that crashed and killed basketball legend Kobe Bryant and eight others in January is blaming the accident on air traffic controllers. In a cross-complaint filing with a California superior court in Los Angeles, Island Express Helicopters alleges controllers at the Southern California Tracon (Socal) failed to continue to provide VFR flight following to the accident helicopter and asserts that the controllers’ actions “are the proximate cause of the accident.”

Further, the complaint alleges that the initial controller improperly denied flight following, telling the accident pilot, “I’m going to lose radar and comms pretty shortly, so you can just squawk VFR and when you get close to Camarillo tower.” Shortly after that transmission, the first controller was relieved by another controller. The complaint alleges the first controller’s denial was improper, saying, “The fact that [accident aircraft] N72EX was able to contact Socal four minutes later, and its transponder was still observed by the controller, proves that the prediction of lost contact was not accurate and services could and should have been provided continuously.” 

The complaint goes on to allege that pilot workload and stress were exacerbated by ATC’s “negligent acts and/or omissions.”

Modern Aviation Expands Seattle FBO

Modern Aviation, which operates one of three FBOs at Seattle Boeing Field-King County International Airport, is currently in the midst of an expansion project that will boost its hangar space to more than 120,000 sq ft and increase the size of its ramp.

Phase one of the $20 million project will include a 40,000-sq-ft community hangar expected to open later this fall, while the second phase, which is on track for completion in Spring 2021, will add another 24,527-sq-ft hangar and approximately 7,100 sq ft of adjoining office space. According to the company, the smaller hangar, while also intended for community storage, could also be available to a single private tenant. Both hangars will be heated and capable of sheltering aircraft up to a Bombardier Global 7500.

Modern, a member of the Paragon FBO Network and backed by private equity firm Tiger Infrastructure Partners, also operates an FBO at Denver Centennial Airport and in North Carolina as the sole aviation services provider at Wilmington International Airport. It acquired the Seattle facility in 2018 from Clay Lacy Aviation.

“This project demonstrates Modern’s commitment to work with airports to upgrade and expand its infrastructure to support the growth of its customers and the local community,” said company president and CEO Mark Carmen.

Viasat Expands Satcom Offering with Gulfstream G650 STC

Viasat’s business aviation in-flight connectivity system has received an STC from the FAA that certifies the use of its Ka-band satcom system aboard Gulfstream G650 and G650ER business jets. Combined with Viasat’s earlier STC for its Ku-band system, it will offer Gulfstream customers as much as 40 Mbps of speed under the dual-band system.

Specifically, the STC applies to Viasat’s Global Aero Terminal 5510, which accesses the ViaSat-1, ViaSat-2, and European Ka-band satellite platform and features compatibility with Viasat’s next-generation satellites. That will enable customers who install the terminal shipset and subscribe to Viasat’s service to receive more satellite capacity—more data volume, expanded coverage, and higher speeds—when the company launches its ViaSat-3 satellite constellation.

FAA STC approval also comes on the heels of Viasat removing connectivity speed limits for business aviation customers of its Ka-band network. “As a result, Gulfstream's longest-range jet passengers and crew will be able to simultaneously experience high-speed internet connections for streaming high-quality content and accessing critical business and entertainment applications,” said Viasat business area director for business aviation Claudio D’Amico.

NBAA Asks IRS To Avoid Double Taxation on Commuting

NBAA is asking the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to guard against double taxation on certain benefits as it updates rules surrounding transportation fringe and commuting benefits to meet congressional mandates. The IRS in June released proposed guidance that would address the elimination of the deduction for expenses related to certain transportation and commuting benefits provided by employers to their employees.

That elimination comes at the behest of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which sought to close a loophole that enabled employers to deduct certain qualified transportation fringe (QTF) benefits from their taxable income even if employees were able to exclude them from taxable income.

However, NBAA is concerned that the elimination of the QTF benefits deduction would extend to cases where the employees must claim them as taxable income. Such a scenario would constitute double taxation, NBAA said.

“Under the policy of avoiding double taxation, NBAA requests that regulations provide that if the value of the commuting benefit is reported by the employer as compensation to the employee, then the employer should be permitted to deduct the cost of the commuting benefit as compensation expense,” NBAA said in comments to the IRS. “Adopting such a regulation is consistent with the regulatory approach taken with respect to the spouse travel disallowance in...the fringe benefit rules generally which are structured to avoid double taxation.”

Landsberg Reappointed as NTSB Vice Chair

Bruce Landsberg was appointed to a three-year term as vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), continuing in a role he has served since joining the board on Aug. 7, 2018.

In 2018 Landsberg was appointed to a five-year term on the board and at the same time began the initial two-year term as NTSB vice chairman.

Landsberg joined the board with a substantial background in general aviation safety, having served with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association from 1992-2014. When he retired from the association in 2014, he was president of the AOPA Foundation and Air Safety Institute. Before his time with AOPA, Landsberg has served in the U.S. Air Force and held roles with Cessna Aircraft, FlightSafety International, and Flying magazine.

“Bruce brings a wealth of experience to the NTSB with his extensive general aviation safety background,” said NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt. “While serving as vice chairman during the past two years, Bruce has provided great assistance to me in my role as chairman. I’m delighted that President Trump has allowed him to continue in that capacity for another three years.”

Landsberg cited as priorities for his next term improving weather forecasts and reducing weather-related aviation crashes; working toward a user-friendly Notam system; and reducing distraction and speeding-related highway crashes.

Van Horn Receives STC/PMA for Upgraded Bell 206B Blades

Tempe, Arizona-based Van Horn Aviation (VHA) earned U.S. FAA supplemental type certification/parts manufacturer approval for its Version 2 composite main rotor blades for the Bell 206B helicopter.

The updated blades are designed with different carbon fiber ply counts and orientations than the original VHA 206B main rotor blades, giving them the ride and feel of metal blades while maintaining increased performance of composite blades, VHA said. The blades incorporate corrosion-resistant carbon-fiber skin and spars, a NASA-designed laminar-flow airfoil, tapered tip, and stainless steel/nickel abrasion strips along the leading edge.

“We’ve been flying these blades on our JetRanger for several months now, completing certification flights, photoshoots, and long multi-state cross-countries,” said VHA CEO James Van Horn. “The ride is about as smooth as a JetRanger can get, and yet you can feel the increased responsiveness.”

The blades, which have a service life of 10,000 hours with no required overhauls, are available through the company and its distributors with a list price of $60,000 per blade.

Higher Nav Canada User Fees Coming September 1

Nav Canada is hiking user service charges by an average of 29.5 percent due to lower air traffic volume and a resulting decrease in collected fees stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic. The revised rates, which take effect September 1, also include provisions to ease the cash flow impact of the increase on its customers through payment deferral mechanisms.

Specifically, Nav Canada increased terminal fees by 30.8 percent, en route by 26.4 percent, North Atlantic Track by 48.5 percent, and international communications by 41 percent. The increase is required to allow the private ATC provider to achieve a minimum level of revenue in its Fiscal Year 2021, “thereby facilitating the additional borrowings which are needed to provide Nav Canada with sufficient liquidity to weather the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The increased rates were proposed in May. “Throughout the consultation period the company explored all options, including federal government assistance, with the objective of eliminating the need for the increase,” Nav Canada said. “Despite these efforts, no alternative was found, and the company has proceeded with [the proposed rates] after full consideration of the input received during the consultation period.”